New York –(ENEWSPF)–November 12, 2014. Today U.S. District Judge Richard Mark Gergel ruled that denying marriage for same-sex couples in South Carolina is unconstitutional. The decision also cites a previous ruling from the U.S. Fourth Circuit of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over South Carolina.
Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry, released the following statement:
“Today’s ruling in South Carolina makes clear that all Americans share the fundamental freedom to marry, and that no state obstruction or discrimination is exempt from the Constitution’s command of equal protection of the laws. The decision adds to the powerful momentum of 50 other victories from a bipartisan cascade of federal and state courts over the past year. But we are one country, with one Constitution, and continuing discrimination in other parts of the country prolongs harms and indignity to families. The U.S. Supreme Court should act now to affirm the freedom to marry for all Americans.”
As of last month, a majority of Americans now live in a freedom to marry state. Once the pro-marriage rulings from the 4th, 7th, 9th, and 10th Circuits are fully implemented, same-sex couples will have the freedom to marry in 35 states plus the District of Columbia, representing nearly two-thirds of the American people.
Freedom to Marry is the campaign to win marriage nationwide. We are pursuing our Roadmap to Victory by working to win the freedom to marry in more states, grow the national majority for marriage, and end federal marriage discrimination. We partner with individuals and organizations across the country to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage and the protections, responsibilities, and commitment that marriage brings.
Source: http://www.freedomtomarry.org
